Malayan Literature | Page 7

played at many games.
Meanwhile
the princess Lila Sari called
Before her the dyangs and questioned
them:
"Why have ye come so late?" Bidouri bowed
And said:
"'Twas very hard to bring her here
To thee. The merchant and his
wife do not
A moment leave her, for they love her so.
Her
tiring-women ever are about.
Thou shouldst demand her of her
parents, if
Thou dost desire to see her. Treat her like
Thy child, for
she is still so very young!
From Bidasari's father thou wilt gain
All
that thou canst desire, he is so rich,
If thou wilt only love his daughter
dear.
And dost thou give command to bring her here?
Let us go all
alone and summon her
For Bidasari'll freely follow us."
They tried
to calm the anger of the Queen.
She bowed her head in silence, but
her soul
Was very heavy, and hypocrisy
With hate and envy vied
within her heart.
"They love the child, these dyangs," to herself
She
said, "and I shall have no easy task.
I shall attract her here by trickery,

But she shall never my companion be.
With Bidasari once within
my power
My heart will be no longer on the rack.
Go now,
dyangs," she said, "and seek for me

The merchant and his wife and
hither bring
Young Bidasari, whom I'll elevate
Unto the rank of
princess, for I have
No child. Mazendra take with ye. And when

Young Bidasari shall arrive, conceal
Her for a day or two. And gently
speak
Unto the merchant and his wife, and say
Concessions will be
granted to the priests
And strangers in their quarter, should she come.

Console Lila Djouhara thus, and pledge
That he may come to see
his child whene'er
His heart impelleth him." An escort went
With
them, and the dyangs bowed low before
The merchant and his wife,
and greeted, too,
Fair Bidasari. But the merchant said:
"Why come
ye here in so great numbers?" Then
They straight replied: "Our most

beloved Queen
Hath sent us here with greetings unto thee,
The
master of the house. If thou'lt permit,
We've come to seek fair
Bidasari here."
They beat their breasts, the merchant and his wife.

"Our darling, only child! It will be hard
For her to be the servant of a
prince;
For she hath had her way so long! Her traits
Are not yet
formed. Go back, dyangs, and pray
The Queen to pardon us. Say how
we grieve."
But the dyangs repeated all the words
Said by the Queen, and so their fears were calmed.
They hoped
Queen Lila Sari would love well
Fair Bidasari. Then the merchant
said:
"I will obey, and let my darling go,
So that she may become
unto the Queen
A servant, and perchance a daughter loved.
Now
shall she go with ye. Only I beg
The Queen to let her come back
home to us
At three days' end. She is not used to stay
With
strangers. Never hath she left us for
A single day." Then Dang
Bidouri said:
"We'll do our best before the Queen; and why
Should
she not grant to Bidasari this?"
They bathed fair Bidasari with sweet
scents,
And then arranged her in rich raiment new.
A fine sijrash
she wore with broidered flowers
Of Pekan, and a satin robe all
fringed
With gold. She bore a plaque of beaten gold
Bound to a
necklace, chiselled, gem-bedecked;
Her over-tunic was of yellow silk

With tiny serpents on the buttons 'graved.
Three bracelets wore the
maid, and rarest rings,
And ear-rings like a wheel in motion wrought.

Chaste links of gold set forth her beauty rare,
A fair flow'r in a vase,
whose perfume sweet
Wafts scented breaths as far as one may see.

They kissed her then with tears and held her close
Upon their breasts. "Be humble to the Queen,"

They said, "remember
that thou art before
The King, and near the throne. Ask leave to come

To see us when thou dost desire. Speak sweetly
With low and
gentle voice."
Thus they enjoined.
And then the merchant said, "Dyangs, if ye

Love Bidasari, see ye vex her not."
They dried their tears and said:

"Be without fear.
Intrust thy daughter to our mistress dear."
"My
child," he said, "I'll come to see thee oft.
Thou wilt be better there,
my love, than here."
But Bidasari wept and cried: "Oh, come,
Dear
mother, with me! Wilt thou not, alas?"
But the fond parents were
astounded then
To learn the mother was not asked to come.
She
stayed with tears, the while the father went.
As far as to the city's
gates. With tears
He said: "Farewell, O apple of my eye
I leave thee
here. Fear not, my dearest child."
Then Bidasari wept. Her heart was
wrung.
She went. The merchant followed with his eyes.
She entered
by a hidden door. Dyangs
And mandars flocked to see her, but she
hung
Her head and kept her eyes downcast.
The sun
Announced the evening, and the King was still
Surrounded
by his officers. 'Twas then
Fair Bidasari to the palace came,
And
stood before the Queen. All the dyangs
Sat on the floor, with servants
of the house.
Like the pengawas Bidasari bowed,
'Mid the dyangs,
in presence of the Queen.
They gave her all the merchant's gifts, as
sign
Of homage. All astonished was the Queen
At Bidasari's beauty.
She appeared
Almost divine. Bidouri spoke